Signaling device



Sp@ EK, W35. c. MILLER 'WMME SIGNALING DEVICE Filed June l5, 1932 ma `a. X

INVENTOR C/Lls ifi/lan, ML' ller Momma Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES SIGNALING DEVICE Christian Miller, New York, N. Y., assignor to Edwards and Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application June 13, 1932, Serial No. 616,853

13 Claims.

This inventionrelates to signaling apparatus and more particularly to a construction for and installation of audible signaling devices such as electric bells, buzzers, and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an inexpensive, simple and practical signaling construction and installation well adapted to meet the varying requirements of hard practical use. Another object is to provide a signaling unit that is small and compact in construction and capable of rapid and inexpensive installation. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above-mentioned character in which ease of assembly and low cost of manufacture and ease of installation and hence low cost of installation may be successfully achieved. Other objects will bein part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplied in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown a preferred form of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus Aas it appears when installed;

Figure 2 is a vertical central sectional View as seen along the line 2--2 of Figure 1, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View, partly in elevation, as seen substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the signaling unit, ready for installation, as it appears when viewed from the left in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a viewon a smaller scale as seen from the left in Figure 2 of the installation prior to the .application thereto of the nishing cover plate.

Similar reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, I have shown at I4 a wall such as is used in building construction work and which may be of any suitable or desired character; the wall I4 is provided with a recess l5 of sulcient size to receive therein a sheet metal conduit box It which is open at its left-hand end as viewed in Figure 2 and which is preferably of usual or standard construction, being provided with suitable means, such as lugs or brackets l'l-l by which the box may be secured to the wall |4 in any suitable way. The walls of the box are provided with suitable knockouts I9 through any of which, illustratively the knock-out in the upper end wall 20, there is brought the terminus of a conduit 2| which is carried through or buried in the wall I4 and by means of which suitable conductors or a cable 22, suitably insulated, are brought into the box I6. Illustratively, the cable 22 carries three insulated conductors 23, 24, 25 for connection to the signaling devices to be described in detail here- 5` inafter.

The upper end wall 2U and the lower end wall 2B of the box lli are provided adjacent the open end of the latter with suitable ,supporting means illustratively shown as taking the form of flanges or lugs 2 and 28 (Figure 2) provided with threaded openings 29 and 3i) spaced apart in a vertical direction preferably by a stand-ard distance. To the supporting means 27-28, my signaling unit is to be secured.

My signaling unit includes a strap 3| of relatively heavy sheet metal preferably of narrow width, as is better shown in Figure 4, and it is of sufficient length so that when bridged across the supporting means 2 and 28, screw-receiving 20 openings 32 and 33 (see Figure 4) come into substantial registry with the threaded openings 29 and 30, respectively, in the supporting means 21 and 28 to which the strap 3| may be secured as by the screws 34 and 35. 25

Adjacent its upper end, as viewed in Figures 2'. and 4, the strap 3| is provided with a countersunk hole 36 (see also Figure 3) through which is passed a suitable securing device preferably taking the form of a screw 3l. About the shank 30 of the screw is a metal collar 38 which passes through a central opening in a gong 39, shaped substantially as is shown in the drawing, whence the screw 31 is threaded into a threaded opening in the arm 4|)a of a U-shaped frame made of 35 strap metal which for convenience may be of the same cross-section or character as the strap 3| itself. The gong 39 is yieldingly supported (see Figure 3) about the metal sleeve or collar 33 and between the metal parts 3| and 40a, conveniently by interposing between these parts and the gong 39 felt or soft rubber washers 4|.

The arm 4ta of the frame 4|] extends in a direction transversely of the strap 4| whence the frame 40 is bent at right angles to the arm 4|)a to form an intermediate portion 40h, whence the right-hand end of the latter portion (see Figure 3) is bent, at right angles thereto and into parallelism with the arm 40a, thus to provide an arm 40C, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The intermediate portion 40h of the frame 40 supports two electromagnetic devices, generally indicated at 42 and 43 and illustratively taking the form of solenoids. Thus the device 42 has a winding 44 mounted upon a suitable metal 55 sleeve into which is threaded a screw 45 which passes through the arm Mib of the frame 40, thus to secure the solenoid winding 44 rigidly and securely in place, the solenoid being, as better appears in Figure 3, substantially housed Within 6() the gong 39. A core 46 projects from the winding 44, being urged downwardly as viewed in Figure 3 and into contact with the gong 39 by a suitable spring generally indicated at 41, the spring engaging under the head of the solenoid plunger 46 and having parts resting against the lower end face of the magnet winding 44.

The solenoid 43 includes a winding 48 secured to the arm 40b by a screw 49 and from the lower end of the winding 48, as viewed in Figure 3, a headed plunger 50 projects, being urged downwardly by a spring 5| of a construction generally similar to that of the spring 41 and an illustrative shape of which is shown in Figure 2. Solenoid 43 is mounted snugly adjacent the solenoid 42 and in the angle formed by the arms 4Gb and 40C of the frame 40, arm 4Uc extending alongside the solenoid 43 and having a tongue 4I!f (Figures 2 and 3) formed at its lower end and bent into substantial parallelism with the intermediate part 4|)b of the frame so as to form a, stop against which the solenoid core 5t abuts or is held under the action of the spring 5|.

If these windings are now energized by a suitable pulsating or varying current, such as an alternating current of usual or commercial frequency, each pulsation or period of the current draws the plungers inwardly against the action of their respective springs which return the plungers promptly as soon as the current diminishes or becomes zero, plunger 46 striking the gong 39 to produce an appropriate musical note and plunger 50 striking the rigid tongue 40f to produce a buzzing or substantially non-musical tone. 'I'he rate of vibration of the solenoid cores corresponds, of course, to the frequency of the current if the latter is alternating or to the frequency of the pulsations if the current is a varying current such as an interrupted direct current.

The signaling devices, thus carried by the strap 3|, are thus supported in the conduit box IS as better appears in Figure 2 and more particularly will be seen to occupy the upper portion of the space in the box, the parts, moreover, leaving adequate space for bringing into the box I6 of the required or necessary conductors through one or more of the knockouts in the box. The strap 3|, near its lower end, is given a U-shaped bend, as is better shown in Figure 2, thus to provide a portion 3|a that extends crosswise of the strap 3| but is spaced inwardly of the box from the plane of the strap 3| (see Figure 2), due to the arms or parts 3| b and 3|c which, with the part 3 la, form the U-shaped bend in the strap 3|.

Extending crosswise of the strap 3| and carried by this offset portion 3|a is a terminal or connecting board or panel generally indicated at 52 (Figures 2 and 4) and made up preferably of two rectangularly shaped members 52a and 52b of hard rubber, fiber, or the like, or any other suitable insulating material, member 52b being on the inner face of the part 3|a (Figure 2) and member 52a resting against the outer face of part 3| a.

The similarly shaped members 52a and 52b are of greater width than the strap 3|, as is clearly shown in Figure 4 but are of such a length as to be snugly received within the box, as is better shown in Figure 5.

The panel board 52 carries a suitable number of terminal members or binding posts illustratively shown as three in number, being indicated in Figure 4 at 53, 54 and 55. These binding posts may be of any suitable construction and their inner ends, as viewed in Figure 2, are permanently connected by conductors 5E, 51 and 58 (Figure 2) to the windings 44 and 48, conductor 5'! being common to the two.

The conductors 23, 24 and 25 that are brought into the box I6 through a knock-out are brought to the front of the panel board 52, the narrowness of the strap 3| (see Figure 4) permitting these conductors to be easily brought around the strap 3| from the rear thereof to the front face of the panel board 52 where they may be quickly and easily secured to the binding posts above described, substantially as is indicated in Figure 4, thus connecting the electromagnetic devices to the circuits brought into the conduit or outlet box I6. Moreover, the binding posts will be seen to be easily available to the man making the installation, the panel board facing outwardly of the box I3 and being mounted where it is conveniently and readily accessible. Thus, the testing and proving of the circuits may be easily carried out.

The members 52a and 52b that make up the insulating support for the binding posts may be secured to the strap 3| in any suitable manner and illustratively the binding posts may be of the type wherein one of the parts, such as the part 59 (Figures 2 and 4) is U-shaped, having two arms or prongs that pass through the two insulating boards (suitable large openings being provided in the metal part 3|a) whereupon the inner or free ends of the prongs are bent over upon the inner panel member 52h, thus clamping the two insulating boards securely to the part 3 la.

Also the vertical dimension of the front member 52n substantially matches the spacing between the arms 3|b and Elc between which it is thus snugly fitted and by which tilting or rocking of. the panel board is dependably prevented.

So much of the apparatus as has been above described, having been thus far installed, there is now applied to the part 3| a temporary cover plate generally indicated in Figures 2 and 5 at 60; this cover plate is of a size sufficient to just about close the box |6 where the latter is of the single-gang type and it is proportioned with respect to the remaining parts substantially as appears better from Figure 5. The member 60 is of sheet metal and is provided with two horizontally spaced prongs 6| and 62 (Figure 5) at its upper end and with a centrally positioned prong or tongue B3 at its lower end, these tongues being shaped and bent as is better shown in Figure 2 and being received respectively in slots or recesses 3|f, 3| and 3|h (see Figure 4) in the strap member 3|. The tongues are relatively yieldable and detachably hold the plate 60 assembled to the member 3|.

The member 60 closes the box I6 and extends over and protects the signaling unit as the latter is viewed in Figure 4, the plate 60 having a sufficient width so that the gong 39 and the connecting panel 52 (Figure 4) underlie the plate and are protected thereby.

The plastering, decorating, or other finishing of the wall 4 may now be proceeded with, the inside cover 60 protecting the signaling apparatus during these operations. At |4d in Figure 2 I have indicated illustratively the layer oi plaster or other iinish that is applied to the wall |11.

Throughout a substantial area and preferably centrally thereof, the sheet metal cover 60 is transversely slotted and bent downwardly and outwardly to form a louver 6|)a (see Figures 2 and 5) thus to permit the ready passage therethrough of the audible sound or signals given -by the sigmaling devices within the box le. It wm be noted that the connecting panel 52, facing outwardly as is better shown in Figure 2, is spaced from the louvered inside cover 60, thus leaving adequate room for the conductors and for the making of the connections thereof to the binding posts, i

while the ready detachability of the inside cover 60, otherwise lying substantially in the plane of the open end of the box I6, permits quick and ready access to the terminal but without having to remove the signaling unit as a whole.

The strap member 3l is provided with two threaded openings 64 and 65 (Figures 2 and 4) spaced apart preferably by a distance which is standard for outlet or switch box cover plates, such as the cover plate 66 (Figures 1 and 2), the openings in which, preferably countersunk, are indicated at 66a and 66h. The louvered plate 60, as is better shown in Figure 5, is provided with two relatively large openings Sb and 6l)a that substantially register with the openings 64 and 65 in the member 3l though they are preferably larger than the latter.

The cover plates 66 is then applied and is secured in place by screws 61 and 68 (Figures l and 2) which are threaded into the openings 64-65 of the strap member 3|, the screws passing through the large holes (il)b and 60c in the inside cover plate 60, the latter being thus locked in place between the strap member 3l and the outside cover 66 (see Figure 2).

The cover plate 66 extends substantially beyond the edges of the box I6 so as to contact with the face of the finished wall portions Ida, giving a neat and attractive appearance.

The outside cover plate 66 is illustratively of sheet metal and preferably has a central aperture therein which is preferably of substantial size and which may be of any suitable shape; in Figure 1 this aperture is indicated at 'l0 and is shown as being round. It overlaps a substantial part of the louvered portion lla of the plate 60 and thus insures an easy and free communication from the inside of the box I6 to the exterior thereof for the passage of sound while the louver (il)a continues dependably to prevent foreign matter from getting inside of the box and into the signaling` mechanism.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention a construction in which the various objects hereinabove noted, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: v

1. A signaling unit comprising, in combination, a sheet metal member having end portions adapted to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box and having an intermediate bent portion U-shaped and facing outwardly thereof, electric signaling means carried by said member alongside and exterior of said U-shaped portion, an insulating terminal-carrying panel carried in said U-shaped portion and having the terminals thereof permanently connected to said signaling means, said terminals being accessible from the outer face of said member and being positioned between the plane of said end portions and the plane of the bottom of said U-shaped portion.

2. A signaling unit comprising, in combination,

a sheet metal strap member of relatively narrow width having extreme end apertured portions adapted to be secured to the supporting portions of an outlet box, electric signaling means of greater width than said strap and secured to the latter on the inner side thereof, an insulating panel board carrying terminal connectors secured to said strap member on the outer side thereof, and conductors permanently connecting said signaling means to said connecting terminals.

3. A signaling unit comprising, in combination, a sheet metal strap member of relatively narrow width having extreme end apertured portions adapted to be secured to the supporting portions of an outlet box, electric signaling means of greater width than said strap and secured to the latter on one side thereof, said strap member having an inwardly bent part, and an insulating panel board carrying terminal connectors of greater width than said strap and secured crosswise thereof and onto said inwardly bent part, said terminal connectors being thereby accessible from the open end of said outlet box and being electrically connected to said electric signaling means.

4. In a signaling installation, in combination, an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, each supporting means being provided with a threaded opening and said box having a wall thereof provided with a knockout, a sheet metal member bridged across the open end of said box and screwed to said supporting means, said member having a portion extending substantially in the plane of said supporting means and a U-shaped portion facing outwardly of said box, electric signaling means located adjacent the inner face of said first-mentioned portion of said sheet metal member and extending into said box, and an insulating panel board carrying connecting terminals, said board being seated within said U-shaped portion and having the terminals thereof facing outwardly of said box and adapted to have a conductor brought into said box through said knock-out connected thereto.

45 5. In a signaling installation, in combination,

an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, each supporting means being provided with a threaded opening and said box having a wall thereof provided with a knockout, a sheet metal member bridged across and secured to said supporting means and extending substantially in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the open end of the box and adjacent thereto, a U-shaped frame carrying electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism, a gong adjacent the inside face of said sheet metal member and having its concave portion facing inwardly of said box, and means securing said frame, which carries said electromagnetic gongstriking mechanism, to said sheet metal member and said mechanism being thereby positioned inside of said gong, said securing means engaging said U-shaped frame in an arm thereof.

6. In a signaling installation, in combination, an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, each supporting means being provided with a threaded opening and said box having a wall thereof provided with a knock-out, a sheet metal member bridged across and secured to said supporting means and extending substantially in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the open end of the box and adjacent thereto, a frame carrying electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism, means securing said frame, which carries said electromagnetic gongstriking mechanism, to said sheet metal member and positioned on the inner side of the latter, and a gong substantially encompassing said mechanism.

7. In a signaling installation, in combination, an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, each supporting means being provided with a threaded opening and said box having a wall thereof provided with a knock-out, a sheet metal member bridged across and secured to said supporting means and extending substantially in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the open end of the box and adjacent thereto, frame means carrying electromagnetic gongstriking mechanism and carrying electromagnetic reciprocating mechanism, said frame being positioned on the inner side of said sheet metal member and having means whereby it is secured to the latter, and an extension on said frame positioned to be struck by said reciprocating mechanism.

8. In a signaling installation, in combination, a sheet metal member having apertured end portions adapted to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, said member having a portion extending substantially in the plane of said supporting means and a U-shaped portion facing outwardly of said box and adjacent an end of said member, a gong mounted adjacent said U-shaped portion and on the inner side of said member toward the other end of the latter, said gong having its concave side facing inwardly of said box, gong-striking mechanism supported by said member and extending interiorly of said concave side of said gong, and insulated connecting terminal means mounted in said U-shaped portion but on the outer side of said member and in electrical connection with said gong-striking mechanism.

9. In a signaling construction, in combination, a sheet metal member having end portions adapted to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, said member extending substantially in the plane of said supporting portions, a gong, electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism, a frame member for supporting said mechanism, said gong being hollow and said mechanism extending within said gong, and common means for securing said frame member and said gong to said sheet metal member on the rear side of the latter, whereby when said end portions are caused to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, said gong and mechanism and frame member extend inwardly into said box.

10. In a signaling construction, in 4combination, an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, a sheet metal member bridged across the open end of said outlet box and provided with end portions adapted to overlap said supporting means of said outlet box, a hollow gong adjacent the inner face of said sheet metal member and extending inwardly of and into said box, electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism adjacent the inner face of said sheet metal member and extending inwardly of and into said hollow gong, and means supporting said gong and said mechanism in position adjacent said inner face of said sheet metal member.

11. In a signaling construction, in combination, a sheet metal member having end portions adapted to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, said member extending substantially in the plane of said supporting portions, a hollow go-ng, electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism, electromagnetic buzzer mechanism, a substantially U-shaped frame having said two electromagnetic mechanisms mounted upon the intermediate portion thereof and having at least a part of said portion and one of the arms of said frame and at least said gong-striking mechanism extending within said gong, means engaging an arm of said U-shaped frame for securing the latter to said sheet metal member on the rear side of the latter, and means supporting said gong with said aforementioned parts extending within said gong, whereby, when said end portions are caused to overlap the supporting portions of said outlet box, said gong, said mechanisms, and said frame extend inwardly into said box, said frame having a part coacting with said secondmentioned electromagnetic mechanism and forming a part of the buzzer mechanism thereof.

12. In a signaling construction, in combination, an outlet box having supporting means in opposed walls thereof, a sheet metal member bridged across the open end of said outlet box and provided with end portions adapted to overlap said supporting means of said outlet box, a U-shaped frame member positioned to the rear of said sheet metal member and having the portion thereof intermediate of its arms extending substantially at right angles to the plane of said sheet metal member, electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism and electromagnetic buzzer mechanism secured side by side to said intermediate portions and extending between the arms of said U-shaped frame member, the latter having means coacting with said buzzer mechanism to give the latter a buzzer action, means engaging an arm of said U-shaped frame for holding the latter assembled to said sheet metal member with its intermediate portion extending substantially at right angles to said sheet metal member, a hollow gong, and means holding said gong in assembled relation to said frame with one arm of said U- shaped frame encompassed by said gong and with the skirt-like portion of the gong extending in the direction toward the other arm of said frame, whereby, when said end portions are caused to overlap the supporting means of said outlet box, said frame member with its mechanisms and with the gong, are held inside of said box.

13. In a signaling construction, in combination, a sheet metal member having end portions adapted to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, the end portions of said member extending substantially in the plane of said supporting portions, a frame carrying electromagnetic gong-striking mechanism and positioned to the rear of the plane of said end portions of said sheet metal member, means securing said frame to said sheet metal member to hold said frame with its mechanism to the rear of the plane of said end portions, and a gong substantially encompassing said mechanism, whereby, when said end portions are caused to overlap the supporting portions of an outlet box, said frame with its mechanism and said gong are positioned within said end portions.

CHRISTIAN MILLER. 

